Remanufacture rather than replace

Jason Cramb is director of technology and innovation at WGM Engineering, an RSK Group company, a specialist provider of sustainable approaches and engineering services based in Scotland. Jason has 25 years’ experience in the design and delivery of major water and wastewater projects across the UK and Ireland for several utility companies and clients.

Remanufacture rather than replace

Jason Cramb champions a circular economy approach to water infrastructure management.

Our water infrastructure is ageing and under immense pressure. Managing and maintaining this asset base is a considerable challenge, which is compounded by ambitions to support carbon reduction and net zero goals. Embracing a culture change in how these assets are managed, and moving towards a refurbish and reuse approach, will have a big impact on the health of the national system and the ambitions of water companies to meet carbon targets.

The maintenance challenge

A ‘throwaway’ culture extends through all areas of society: when things stop working as well as they once did, we often look to replace with new. However, new means production from raw materials, which has significant associated carbon emissions. New water infrastructure necessitates processing new steel, concrete and plastics, which is a big contributor to global carbon footprints. However, if we reuse and refurbish what we already have, we not only return parts and equipment to an ‘as new’ condition but also remove the carbon associated with its creation.

A change to this culture is needed in the industry such that we take a more strategic and holistic view of our systems. This shift towards the principles of a circular economy and embedding these into asset management strategies will enable significant benefits to be realised. At Dalmarnock Wastewater Treatment Works, for example, taking a circular economy approach to the maintenance of its storm tank scraper bridges delivered a significant carbon and cost saving for the operator, Scottish Water.

In order to replace the scraper bridges, as defined in the scope of works, the procurement of 50,000kg of new steel was needed. This would have an estimated carbon footprint of around 86,000kg equivalent. However, retaining and refurbishing the existing structures, had a carbon footprint of around 16,000kg equivalent – an 80% reduction in this instance.

The circular economy approach

Extending the life of assets is central to reducing carbon emissions and starts with maintenance strategies. Adopting robust planning and maintenance strategies presents opportunities to move away from traditional ‘run to fail’ approaches. Ensuring appropriate maintenance is delivered maximises the potential to extend the life of assets across sites and networks, protecting them from wear and tear. In addition, regular checks such as these will make it easier to identify when and where refurbishment could be viable and how to reuse existing resources.

Taking on this circular economy approach is regenerative by design: it prioritises resources at its centre. This means as much value as possible is retained from products, parts and materials through the entire life cycle. In turn, this reduces raw material use and waste – making the most of what we already have – and therefore lowers associated carbon emissions. Such an approach can, and should, be applied through the full infrastructure network to encompass all civil, mechanical and electrical assets, equipment and systems.

In developing these approaches, there is often the perception that refurbishment results in an ‘inferior’ product – that it is second-hand rather than shiny and new. However, when a circular economy-based investment approach is taken, as was the case at Dalmarnock, the functionality, operability and safety features of new contemporary equivalent equipment are incorporated into the refurbishment. What is subsequently installed is an equivalent of, or sometimes an improvement upon, what could have been supplied as a brand-new replacement. The work isn’t just refurbishing to the original condition, rather it is enhancing the existing equipment and assets to be as technically and functionally advanced as a contemporary equivalent. This results in significant added value: not only is the site being upgraded but also it is managing its carbon and resource footprint effectively.

Overcoming challenges

While there are major benefits to delivering refurbishment work, there are also challenges. That which has the greatest impact is ensuring the integration of modern equipment into older structures and assets to raise them to contemporary standards. A vital means of understanding the best ways to incorporate newer technology, such as condition monitoring, advanced sensors or Wi-Fi-enabled signalling systems, is through research and development.

The design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA) facilities, which at WGM Engineering include a multidisciplinary in-house design team, have proven invaluable in testing and mocking-up equipment to ensure it is meeting specifications and needs, as well as functioning correctly with modifications.

Through research and project work delivering refurbishment works on a range of water and wastewater treatment sites, WGM Engineering has found that, in practice, a carbon reduction of around 80% can be reasonably achieved. This carbon saving comes alongside significant cost reductions, which, in the long term, have a positive impact on service delivery.

Incorporating circular economy processes into asset life cycles has the potential to transform how we deliver water and wastewater resources. Aligning processes and refurbishment work with net zero carbon ambitions will change our national water infrastructure for the better, investing in both resource management and the environment.

“A carbon reduction of around 80% can be reasonably achieved. This carbon saving comes alongside significant cost reductions, which, in the long term, have a positive impact on service delivery.”